This is an archived article and the information in the article may be outdated. Please look at the time stamp on the story to see when it was last updated.
CHICAGO — Shedd Aquarium announced the names and sexes of four penguin chicks Wednesday following a nesting and breeding season in May.
The Magellanic penguins contribute to the aquarium’s participation in a cooperatively managed species survival plan. The species is currently listed as ‘nearly threatened’ by the International Union for Conservation of Nature.
The penguins’ names were chosen by select donors of the aquarium who are long-time supporters of the aquarium’s non-profit organization.
The names were:
- Porter, male, who was named in honor of aquarium founder John G. Shedd’s wife, Mary Porter Shedd.
- Popi, male, who was named in honor of Dr. Pablo ‘Popi’ Garcia Borboroglu, who is the founder and president of the Global Penguin Society.
- Sir Elio, male, who was named by John and Carrie Morgridge and the Morgridge Family Foundation
- Dee, female, who was named in honor of Dr. Dee Boersma, the director of the Center for Ecosystem Sentinels and a professor of biology at the University of Washington.
Guests who plan a visit to the aquarium can potentially see the penguins by their slightly lighter grey feathers in the Polar Play Zone section.
Tickets for Shedd Aquarium can be reserved here.
